You sat before the vanity, finishing the last touches of your makeup, each stroke deliberate under the soft glow of the mirror lights. In the reflection, Jeongin’s figure stood behind you, sliding into his tailored suit jacket with calm precision.

It had been a year since the arranged marriage was finalized—a merger orchestrated as naturally as any business deal, sealing two family empires that had stood as longstanding partners.

Love had never been in question; it was simply a matter of legacy, of ensuring the business remained anchored in trusted hands. Neither of you had been given much choice, nor had there been a need for it.

Life with Jeongin was quiet.

He was not an absent husband, though neither was he particularly attentive. Quiet and reserved, he occasionally made gestures of consideration, though affection was rare. Your marriage was neither unhappy nor warm; it sat somewhere in a peculiar in-between, a coexistence rather than a partnership.

As you adjusted a loose strand of hair, preparing for tonight’s gala, Jeongin’s voice broke through the silence behind you, smooth and almost impersonal.

“Wear the necklace I gave you last week. Diamonds suit you.”

He didn’t even glance up, his attention on the cufflinks he was adjusting.

But you knew he’d noticed—he’d chosen that very necklace because he had seen you admiring it, a rare flicker of consideration from a man who kept his thoughts close.